Frank trowbridge



(No Model.)

F. TROWBRIDGE.

GAR HEATER.

No. 381,512. Patented Apr. 1191888 N. PETERS, Pholc-Lnnogrmphcr,Washmglen. u. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT Erica FRANK TROWBRIDGE, OF FOND DU LAC, WISCONSIN,ASSIGNOR TO HOWARD T. SAOKETT, OF SAME PLACE.

CAR-HEATER.

FJ'PECIPICATIQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 381,512, dated April1'7, 1888. Application filed March 31, 1887. Serial No. 23$.l94. (Nomodel.)

To all whom, it may concern: through a portion of a heater embodying myBe it knownthat I, FRANK TROWBRIDGE, a. invention, a portion of myinvention being citizen of the United States, residing at Fond shown inelevation and the railway-car in secdu Lac,in the county of Fond du Lacand State tion.

' of \Visconsin, have invented certain new and Referring to the drawingby letter, A desig- 55 useful Improvements in Oar-Heaters; andI do natesthe heater or stove embodying my indeclare the following to be a full,clear, and vention, which is of any preferred or ordinary exactdescription of the invention, such as will pattern. This stove or heaterhasa horizontal enable others skilled in the art to which it apgrate, B,which is pivoted or supported on pertains to make and use the same,reference 'trunnions in the heater, so as to be capable of 60 being hadto the accompanying drawing, and swinging vertically therein to dump thefire, to the letters and figures of reference marked and this grate isfurther provided with acrankthereon, which form a part of thisspecificaarm, I), which passes through a suitable slot or tion. openingin the shell of the heater, for a pur- 1 My invention relates toimprovements in pose presently described. 6 car-heaters; and it consistsin the peculiar. Below the grate is arrangedahorizontal ashcombinationof devices and novel construction pan, 0, into which the ashes and livecoals and arrangement of the various part for servdrop from the grate13. This ash-pan is supice, as will be hereinafter fully described, andported or pivoted in a similar manner to the particularly pointed out inthe claims. grate, so that the ash-pan is also capable of a 0 Theprimary object of my invention is to swinging movement to empty thecontents of provide aheater forsteam or railway cars with the pan. Thisswinging ash-pan is also proan improved cover which is adapted toenvided with a horizontal crank-arm,c, which tirely inclose the heaterin the event of an acprojects through the shell or case of the heat- 2cident to the car and operate the grate and er, but on the side thereofopposite to the side 75 ash-pan to dump the contents of the same throughwhich the cranlcarm of the grateprointo the extinguishing liquid orcompound, to 'jects, as clearly shown in the drawing. thereby completelyextinguish the fire in the Below the ash-pan and grate is arranged aheater and effectually prevent the car from tank or receptacle, D, whichmay be either taking fire. fixed in the lower part of the heater orstove, 80

A further object of my invention is to proas shown, or suitablysupported so as to be vide means for normally suspending the covereasily and readily removed in the bottom of above and out of contactwith the heater, so the car. This tank or receptacle is designed thatheat from the latter can be freely radiated to be filled with or receivea body of water or without hinderance from the cover, to thereby otherliquid or compound for extinguishing s render the car comfortable, and,further, to the fire in the grate and ash-pan where they providemechanism whereby the suspending are dumped, in the manner which I willpresmeans can be operated to release the cover ently describe. at thewill of the engineer, or by the brake- Erected on opposite sides of theheater or 0 man or a passenger on the car. stove are vertical guide-rodsE, which are 0 A further object of my invention is to prosuitably fixedto the floor of the car, and the vide means for disengaging thestove-pipe upper ends of these guide-rods are rigidly from the heatersimultaneously-with the deconnected by a horizontal bar, e, which isrigscent of the cover, so that the stove pipe hole idly affixed at itsends to the rods to brace the 5 in the cover can beclosed by suitabledevices, same, these guide rods and the horizontal bar 5 which thuseffectually prevent the escape of forming or constituting the supportingor .Ithe contents of the heater in the event of an main frame ofmyinvention. Depending cenaccident, as will be hereinafter fullydescribed. trally from the fixed horizontal bar is a suit- In the.accompanying drawing the single able hanger, E, which is rigidly fixedor sefigure represents a vertical sectional view cured to thesaid bar,andthishanger supports or carries the jaws F F, which suspend thevertically-movable cover G, which is arranged to telescope over theheater or stove A.

This heater is preferably cylindrical in form, and its lower end isopen, as shown, while the upper end is closed by a head, g, so that whenit drops and incloses the stove the contents of the latter cannot escapein the event of the heater being overturned during a collision oraccident to the car. From opposite sides of the vertically-movablecover, at the upper and lower ends thereof, project suitable guide-arms,g g, which are rigidly secured to the cover, and have openings throughwhich are passed the vertical guide-rods E, between which the cover isarranged, whereby the proper vertical movement of the cover is insured,and it is held or retained in position during its downward movement toinclose the heater with certainty.

From the outer extremities of the upper guide-arms, project shortvertical arms, through which are guided locking-pins 9 which arenormally impelled or forced rearwardly against the fixed guide-rods E bya coiled spring, 9", said locking-pins being adapted to enter aperturesg formed in the guiderods at or near the middle of the same, so thatwhen the cover is lowered over the heater the pins automatically enterthe openings, and

. thereby lock the cover against further vertical movement in eitherdirection.

The jaws F F extend or project inwardly toward each other, so that theymeet, and the lower faces or edges of the jaws are inclined "in-reversedirections, so that a ring, 9, can

pass readii y between the jaws to be engaged thereb yt, This ring isconnected to the head of the cover at thecenter thereof, and when it isengaged by the jaws the cover is suspended by the latter above and outof con; tact with the heater, so that the heat can be" radiated from theheater without hinderance; from the cover, which is thus arranged out ofthe way completely.

From opposite inner sides of the cover project operating lugs orshoulders h h',which are suitably fixed in place, and the crank-arms ofthe swinging grate and ash-pan are arranged in the paths of theoperating-shoulders, to be struck thereby when the cover descends, and

thereby turn the grate and pan to empty the 1 contents of the same intothe liquid or other compound in the tank, to thereby extinguish.

the fires. These operating lugs or shoulders are arranged one above theother a distance equal to the distance between the different planes ofthe crank-arms, in order that the arms may be struck simultaneously orat the same time, to thereby dump both the grate and pan at once; but,if desired, this arrangement of the operating lugs or shoulders may bevaried to strike the crank-arms successively, or vice versa.

Each of the jaws F F is further provided with extended arms or shanks f,the shank of the jaw F being fixed to the hanger, as shown,

so that this jaw is immovably secured in place, while the shank of thejaw F is pivoted at an intermediate point of its length to the hanger,as atf, so that the latter jaw is movable toward and from the fixedjaws, to open and close the same, and thereby permit the ring of thecover to pass between .and suspend from the jaws. The shank of thepivoted movablejaw is extended above the hanger and the fixed horizontalbar of the frame, and to this extended end of the shank is connected themeans for operating the movable jaw to open and close the jaws. In orderto hold the jaws closed and thereby prevent the accidental disengagementof the ring of the movable cover from thejaws, I provide aspring, I,which is preferably coiled and arranged between the shanks of the jaws,to thereby force the pivoted jaws toward the fixed jaw.

I have shown in the accompanying drawing two methods of operating themovable pivoted jaws; but I do not desire to confine myself to theparticular mechanism for operating the jaw, as I am aware that it can beoperated by electric connections with the locomotive.

To the extreme upper end of the shank of the pivoted jaw is connectedone end of a pull 7 rod or cord, J, which passes through suitableguides, j, in the roof of the car. This cord can be readily grasped andoperated by the brakeman ora passenger to release the cover. I'alsoprovide steam -connection with the locomotive for operating the movablejaw, which consists ofa horizontal operating-rod, k, which is'pivoted atone end to the movable jaw and at its other end to one end of abell-crank lever, K, which is suitably pivoted to the car. To the otherend otthebell-crank lever is connected the upper end'of a verticaloperating-rod, L, which is connected at its lower end to a piston rod,6, of a piston, L, which reciprocates in a cylinder, M, which issuitably fixed or supported in place. Through the lower head, m, of thissteam-cylinder opens a live-steam pipe, m, which leads from .thecylinder to the locomotive-cab under the floor of the car.

It will be noted that when live steam is admitted to the supply-pipe itenters the cylinder beneath the piston-head, upon which it exertssuflicient pressure to raise the piston and thereby turn the bell-cranklever, which in turn operates the pivoted jaw and thereby releases thecover, which falls or drops by gravity.

From one side of the heater or stove projects a socket, N, in which isfitted the lower extremity of the smoke-escape pipe 7:, which isarranged within the cover on one side thereof, and passes throughvertical openings in the head of the cover and roof of the ear. To thelower end of this smoke-pipe is connected a cord or chain, 0, whichpasses upwardly through the head of the cover and over a pulley, P,which is journaled in a bracket, 10, fixed to one of the verticalguide-rods at a point thereon above the cover when the latter iselevated. The opposite or free end of the IIO cord is connected to thecover, so that as the latter descends the end of the cord connected tothe cover will be drawn down with it and the opposite end connected tothe stove-pipe will be elevated a corresponding distance, and therebyraise the stove'pipe simultaneously with the descent of the cover. Bythus disengaging the Stovepipe from the heater and raising it above thecover the hole in the latter through which the pipe passes can bereadilyclosed bysuitable devices, (not shown,) which arearranged toautomatically cover the stove-pipe hole, and thus prevent the escape ofthe contents of the heater.

This being the constrn ction of my invention, the operation thereof isas follows: The jaws are normally forced together by the spring, and thering fits over and between the jaws, so as to suspend the cover aboveand out of contact with the stove. To drop the cover over the stove orheater, the pull-cord is pulled or steam admitted to the cylinder tothrow the bell-crank lever and thereby move the pivoted jaw against thetension of the spring, which thus permits the cover to fall or drop bygravity, the downward movement "of the cover being guided by theguiderods simultaneously with the descent of the cover,

and the operatinglugs of the cover strike the crank-arms b c, andthereby turn the grate and ash-pan and empty the contents of the sameinto the tank, where the fire is effectually extinguished, the coverbeing locked in place over the heater by the springpressed pins enteringthe apertures in the guide-rod. To reset the apparatus it is onlynecessary to withdraw the locking-pins from the apertures in theguide-rods, elevate the cover, and force or slip the ring of the samebet-ween thejaws,

which instantly close and suspend the cover in position over the stove,the upward movement of the cover serving to draw the stove pipe downinto position again.

Iwould state that while I deem the mech anisms and devices herein shownand described as best adapted for carrying my invention into effect,still I would have it understood that Ido not desire to confine myselfto the exact details of construction and arrangement, buthold myselfatliberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly fall within thescope of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. A car-heater having a swinging grate pro-. vided with a crank-arm, incombination with a vertically'movable cover adapted to strike thecranknrm when itdesceuds, to thereby turn the grate, as and for thepurpose described.

2. A car-heater having the swinging grate and ashpan arranged one belowthe other, and each having a crank-arm, in combination with avertically-movable cover adapted to completely inclose the heater, andhaving the independent operating lugs or shoulders arranged in the pathsof the crank-arms to strike the latter during the descent of the cover,as and for the purpose described.

8. The combination, with a heater and a vertically-movable cover adaptedto inclose the heater, of a swinging grate supported in the heater and aswinging ash-pan, also sup ported in the heater on a plane below thegrate, said grate and ash-pan each having a crank-arm arranged in thepath of the cover, to bestruck by the latter when it descends, as andforthe purpose described.

4. The combination, with acar-heater, of a verticallymovable coveradapted to com ,pletely inclose the heater, fixed guide-rods arrangedexteriorly to the heater and cover, arms fixed to the cover and fittedover the guide-rods, and automatic catches carried by -the*cover andadapted to engage the guiderodsto lock the cover to t-helatter, as andfor the purpose described.

5. In a car-heater, the combination of the fixed guide-rods, thevertically-movablecover having the guidearms fitted over the rods andfixed to the cover, and the spring-controlled locking-pins carried bythe guide-arms, substantially as described.

6. In a car-heater, the combination of the vertical guiderods,avertically-movable cover connected to said rods, to be guided thereby,a pair of jaws supported by the rods above the position occupied by thecover when elevated, and spring-catches carried by the cover, which areautomatically locked to the guiderods when the cover is lowered toinclose the heater, as and for the purpose described.

7. In a car-heater, the combination, with a vertically-movable coverhaving inwardlyprojecting lugs or shoulders at different elevations, ofa swinging grate provided with a cranlcarm arranged in the path of oneof the lugs, a swinging ash-pan arranged below the grate and likewisehaving a crank-arm disposed in the path of the otherlug, anda fixed tankarranged below the ash-pan and grate, to receive the contents of thesame when they are turned, as and for the purpose described.

8. In a car-heater, the combination of a vertically-movable cover, apulley supported in a fixed bracket above the cover, the smokepipefitted in a socket in the heater, and a cord passing over the pulley andconnected at its ends to the cover and smoke-pipe, substantially asdescribed, for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I'affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK TROVVBRIDGE.

\Vitnesses:

J AMEs T. GREENE, H. T. SACKETT.

IOC

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